Shroud of Eternity

CHAPTER 73

Once inside Cliffwall and surrounded by the smell of books and scrolls, Prelate Verna felt as if the Creator had rewarded her beyond her wildest dreams. She felt giddy over the wondrous information on shelf after shelf, room after room, tower after tower.

Oliver and Peretta had returned home to a great deal of rejoicing. The veteran scholars rushed out to greet them, full of questions, as well as news of their own. Peretta introduced her aunt Gloria, the new leader of the memmers. Oliver happily brought forward Franklin, an owl-eyed gifted scholar who did not seem ready for any sort of leadership role, although he was the new scholar-archivist.

While most of the D’Haran soldiers built their camp on the canyon floor, the general, the prelate, and the two young travelers had climbed the narrow path up the cliffside. In the cavernous alcove filled with enormous buildings, other scholars met them, leading the visitors inside the great archive.

Before they entered the imposing stone façades, Peretta gestured toward the canyon vista. “This was covered by a camouflage shroud for thousands of years. Few ever discovered these canyons at all, and if outsiders did look up at this cliff, they saw only a blank wall rather than these buildings.”

“But now the hidden knowledge is open and available to all,” Oliver said.

“Yes,” General Zimmer said in a deep, serious growl. “And that concerns us greatly. The Sisters will certainly help.”

The numerous scholars gathered in a main communal room, while workers hurried to prepare a midday meal. The general made sure that his soldiers and their mounts were cared for below. “The horses can water at the stream and graze in the pastures alongside the sheep, but my men will be tired of eating pack food. If I could press upon your hospitality?”

Gloria dispatched her memmers to see that it was done. Verna sat on a long bench in the dining room, as servers hurried in with platters of meats and fruit, baskets of bread. Verna selected a small green apple from the top of the fruit bowl, turned it in her hand to inspect for worms. Finding none, she bit into it and savored the tart juiciness. She let out an appreciative sigh.

Franklin addressed them all, happy to meet Verna, the general, and their companions. “Nicci spoke of the Sisters of the Light, and we wished we had someone like you to guide us. We are pleased you came so soon.”

“We hurried,” Peretta said. “After talking with Prelate Verna, we decided it was important for us to lead them back here.”

“We sorely needed you,” Franklin said, scratching his brown hair as he gave a thankful nod to Verna. “Scholar-Archivist Simon was killed, and then we also lost Victoria. We have been muddling along, but we weren’t sure how best to select a leader. There’s so much work to do.”

Gloria added, “We promised Nicci we would not attempt any of the magic we found in the books. We’re merely trying to organize and catalog the thousands of volumes.”

“We’ve been told that our books on prophecy are no longer relevant,” Franklin said. “Useless, in fact.”

Verna let out a sad sigh. “Yes, I spent much of my life studying prophecy, learning the meanings of countless books, tracing various forks, interpreting possibilities, all for naught. When the Palace of the Prophets was destroyed along with that copious knowledge, I thought my way of life was ended.” She forced a hard smile. “But I endured. The rest of the Sisters endured. We served Lord Rahl, and we found extensive libraries in the People’s Palace and other central sites. We decided to learn what we could and preserve the information. Then, with the star shift…” She shook her head again.

Amber spoke up, holding a fresh hunk of bread in her hand. “Now we have a different focus. We can help you.”

“We can guide you,” Verna corrected. “My Sisters and I trained many students, including Richard Rahl himself. And although the rules of magic are now different in unpredictable ways, we shall learn, and you’ll learn along with us.”

Peretta added, “The memmers have to learn how to be scholars as well. Oliver agreed to show me.”

Beside her, Oliver blinked as if the news was a surprise to him. “I … well, of course I will.”

More servers brought in bowls of steamed leaves and sliced tubers topped with dollops of melting sheep’s butter. “It’s delicious,” General Zimmer said, as one of the scholars passed him a platter of cold mutton roast. He carved some of the meat with his own knife, then cut off a piece for Verna. “Prelate?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Franklin said, “Ever since Nicci, Nathan, and Bannon left us, we’ve been rebuilding. We are returning to normal. Settlers are coming back to reclaim what was once the Scar.”

“We found a few new settlements in the valley,” Zimmer said. “Before long, agriculture and commerce will be thriving here. There is so much land to settle and explore, I may have to summon many more troops from the New World.”

“Give us time to study the lore contained in Cliffwall,” Verna said, “and we will send an important report to Lord Rahl. He may need to dispatch a thousand new scholars, too.”

“We’ve already sent out the word to the surrounding lands,” said Franklin. “Years ago, after Victoria discovered how to drop the camouflage shroud, we put out a call for gifted scholars from the other towns throughout the valley and up in the mountains. Many responded.” He shook his head sadly. “But they were also untrained. That is where Roland came from, the Lifedrinker.…”

“Dear spirits, we won’t let that happen again.” Verna finished her meat and took a helping of the steamed greens. She was surprised at her appetite.

“If you and your Sisters intend to read our books,” Gloria said, with a smile, “then you must repay the favor by telling us your stories.”

“We have many stories,” Peretta said. “Oliver and I saw things we never read about in the archives.” She mischievously looked over at her companion. “Tell them about the kraken-hunter ship.”

They finished the meal by describing their journeys, while Verna also talked about Lord Rahl and how she herself had found him, untrained, with Kahlan among the Mud People, the “pebble in the pond” as prophesied, a war wizard who would change the world, but only if he could learn and control his gift. In order to save him from deadly skull-splitting headaches, she had been forced to place a controlling iron collar around his neck.

The scholars listened, muttering. Franklin asked, “Will you place iron collars around our necks, too?”

“That will not be necessary,” Verna said. Her fellow Sisters also looked at her, as if they, too, were unsure of the answer. Verna shook her head more vigorously. “We know other ways to train the gifted scholars here.”

After the meal, Verna was anxious to get started. Once the Cliffwall scholars had shown them their guest quarters, as well as a room for General Zimmer to use as an office, Verna gathered her Sisters.

The women went into an echoing library chamber with a roaring fireplace. Books of all sizes filled shelves that reached to the ceiling. Wooden tables with thick legs and carved feet were covered with scrolls and open volumes. Glowing, magical lamps shed sufficient reading light every hour of the day and night.

Verna, Amber, and the others just stood there, smiling. The prelate turned slowly, not sure where to begin. “Dear spirits,” she whispered under her breath.

Beside her, Novice Amber actually giggled. “Just look at the books, Prelate! This might be every word that’s been written in the history of the world.”

Verna smiled. “Not by far, child. Not by far.” But as she stared at the thousands of spines, each volume filled with unread and powerful lore, she breathed a long sigh. “But it may be a good portion.”

For so long she had searched for a new direction after the end of prophecy, and now Verna felt she had a greater purpose than ever before.

With a quick gesture, she scattered her Sisters, not telling them where to go, just urging them to get started. “We have nourished our bodies. Now let us nourish our minds.” Verna plunged into the wealth of knowledge like a swimmer crossing a deep pond.

Without looking at the words on the spine, she chose a thick, impressive-looking volume from one of the shelves and took it to a study table. She sat beside an intent scholar who bent over a long scroll that dangled off the edge of the table. He was hunched so close to the scribed words that he nearly pressed his nose to the parchment. He moved his lips as he read, but didn’t look up at her.

Verna removed the toad figurine that she had already carried all this way. Amused, she placed it on the tabletop in front of her, rotated it so the large, round eyes stared at the stack of books. Then she smiled and turned to her own volume, opened the thick, scuffed cover, and began to read.